WTA week of 02/05 - Abu Dhabi (500) and Linz (250)

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Abu Dhabi (WTA 500)

Main Draw

Top 4 seeds: Kasatkina, Bencic, Rybakina, Kudermetova

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Linz (WTA 250)

main draw not announced yet, Sakkari, Alexandrova, Begu, Kalinina top seeds on the entry list
 
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Its weird I always sort of like the ladies schedule more than the mens right after the Aussie open. It just seems more logical to me. I know the men have to do the Davis cup dance and everything but I just think the women sort of get right back at it.
 
Its weird I always sort of like the ladies schedule more than the mens right after the Aussie open. It just seems more logical to me. I know the men have to do the Davis cup dance and everything but I just think the women sort of get right back at it.

it's the difference between BO5 men have to play and BO3 from women
 
Abu Dhabi is going to be awesome.

Bit unambitious of Sakkari to play the lesser one?

Sasnovich has recovered from 3-6 0-4 in the qualifiers to force a decider against Bjorkland.
 
Sasnovich has recovered from 3-6 0-4 in the qualifiers to force a decider against Bjorkland.
Björklund(!) won that match in the end in 3 and heading to the main draw. (In case it would interest anyone: Björklund translated into English is 'Birchgrove' )

I think they changed the time Linz tournament is played during C-19-times, it used to be on October, yes.

Will there be SDL of Abu Dhabi?
 
Why is Claura Tauson so bad now?

In the absence of any Brits, I'm cheering on Mugaruza this week in Abu Dhabi (just because I feel sorry for her, and for Conchita constantly looking miserable in the stands).
 
Why is Claura Tauson so bad now?

In the absence of any Brits, I'm cheering on Mugaruza this week in Abu Dhabi (just because I feel sorry for her, and for Conchita constantly looking miserable in the stands).

unfortunately she is playing Pliskova in R1, it would be a miracle if somehow Mugu survives...
 
Jeez.

At Wimbledon last year Anett Kontaveit was #2 in the world. Now 7 months on she's in qualifying for Abu Dhabi and down a set.....
 
Penko's box said something offensive to Collins while she was on that side, and Penko got the break of serve after. They keep showing Jelena's mom wearing huge diamond earrings.
 
Dani broke back so now on serve at 4-all. I honestly have no idea, the TC commentator didn't clarify other than "words" from Ostapenko's box directed towards Dani and the ref didn't do anything.
 
Didn't watch, but was Penko questioning the ball with her racket? In her mind, the only reason she lost the point is the ball not called out :rolleyes:
 
Don't be so sure. Pliskova can often throw in terrible displays when you least expect it

Mugu has an abysmal record playing Pliskova, they met 11 times, Mugu only won twice and her last win was more than 5 years ago at Cincy.
 
Wasn't she no 2 or 3 this time last year? Now number 20 and always seems to be a medical threat throughout any given year.
 
Wasn't she no 2 or 3 this time last year? Now number 20 and always seems to be a medical threat throughout any given year.
She has had 3 viral infections since November. I mean real, nasty viral infections. Not “oh I don Feel good about this match so I’ll throw some nebuloous crab excuse to withdraw” or C19 kinds. One was a gut infection and one was a respiratory infection, now this recent one. Fingers crossed she will find a great immunologist to get at the root cause.
 
Potato and Bronze are both very good players, but they lack variety in their games.
Oh and Potato is far too emotional for her own good.
I really like her serve though.
14 breaks of serve in the match!
Congrats to Potato. :)
 
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Order is restored in Abu Dhabi.
The superior line call system is back. :)

But Bianca has been bounced by a player never past 3rd round in a slam.
 
Clair and Bona were called up just to be sent away immediately. In Bona’s case in 47 minutes. :oops::(
Sure hope the pay was worth it.
 
Disappointing round overall, I thought (for Abu Dhabi).

Quality last 16 tomorrow though. I can't see a single 'banker' in that line-up. Possibly Haddad-Maia v Putinseva, but even then I'd give Putinseva half a chance.
 
Disappointing round overall, I thought (for Abu Dhabi).

Quality last 16 tomorrow though. I can't see a single 'banker' in that line-up. Possibly Haddad-Maia v Putinseva, but even then I'd give Putinseva half a chance.
QZ
Kuder
BSquare
Shelly
Samso
BHM
Kasatkina
Ryba
 
Fernandez is a funny one. That USO final that she reached almost 18 months ago hasn't really launched or hindered her career in anyway. Since she started exclusively playing on the main tour in January 2020, she went 28-20 before her USO run in 2021 and has went 28-19 since that run. She's consistent at being inconsistent.

She'll have the odd good run like a 250 win in Monterrey, R4 @ IW 2021 and 2022, and RG where she reached a QF, but other than that, hasn't really been all that consistent and loses early quite a lot. The injury she picked up really didn't help last year when she was hoping to kick on, but hopefully she can get some more consistency in her game because on her day, she's a nuisance to anyone, but conversely, she can also get beaten by anyone.

Noskova's now been beaten by MCOS and AVU in the last week after a promising run of wins. Both unconventional, tricky players that like to drop shot, slice and put plenty of spin on shots. Perhaps there's something in that, but she's been the favourite to go through in both of those matches and looked frustrated in both.
 
Why is Claura Tauson so bad now?

In the absence of any Brits, I'm cheering on Mugaruza this week in Abu Dhabi (just because I feel sorry for her, and for Conchita constantly looking miserable in the stands).

Probably a combination of things. She's been picking up injuries and niggles for the past year so can never seemingly get a run of matches going, so her form and confidence have really dipped.

According to her father, she's also struggling to afford a full-time coach at the moment as well due to a lack of finances, which I'm assume was caused by her lack of court time and prize money over the past year.
 
No-Kwan, I saw an hour of Fernandez/Rogers. The courts looked uncomfortably quick for Fernandez. In general, she's workmanlike and gets a lot of balls back but it all feels like a big effort. Unless I'm mistaken, she's had no top ten wins since US Open 2021 (neither has Raducanu), where she had 3 in the same tournament.

Rogers looked like she's loving these courts. By God she's slow to react to certain shots though.
 
So Bibi dropped like 8 games straight and retired with injury last week but played in Abu Dhabi today and lost 1R in straight sets to Putintseva?

What was the "injury"?
 
Great 2R lineup in Abu Dhabi

(1) Kasatkina v Teichmann
Zheng v (5) Ostapenko
(4) Kudermetova v Mertens
Krejcikova v (8) Samsonova)

(6) Haddad Maia v (Q) Putintseva
Pliskova v (3) Rybakina
(7) Kontaveit v (Q) Rogers
(WC) Kostyuk v (2) Bencic
 
So Bibi dropped like 8 games straight and retired with injury last week but played in Abu Dhabi today and lost 1R in straight sets to Putintseva?

What was the "injury"?
I have always thought this probably happens alot. You feel something, you then think better retire im getting killed anyone and I want that check next week.
 
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